Hydraulic transmission mechanism for vehicle drive axles



May 18, 1948. R, A, 2,441,703

HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR VEHICLE DRIVE AXLES Filed March 25, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet I In I" n N Fir-EH2.

IN VEN TOR. Kale-Arr r113 y 18, 1948. R. A. IRWIN 2,441,703

HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION MECHANISMLFQR VEHICLE DRIVE AXLES Filed March 25, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 p T I 1 INVENTOR. N 124:5? '4 17pm .HTTOFIVZIK May 18,1948. R. A. IRWIN 2,441,703

nymmuuc wmusmssrou MECHANISM FOR VEHICLE DRIVE-AXLES Filed March 23, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. .[Zojarr .d, .ZZWIAI.

HTYDM Patented in, 1a, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOB VEHICLE DRIVE AXLES Robert A. Irwin, Erie. Pa. I Application March as, 1944, Serial No. 521,129

amechanlsm using centrifugal force and oil to its flreatest advantage.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a mechanism of the character described having the following advantages:

1. When incorporated into a motor, vehicle or other drive. no transmission is used.

2. No diflerential of the conventional type is needed.

3. It combines fluid drive and brake drum into a single unit.

4. Forward and reverse shifting takes place in the differential by the use of bevelled gears and jaw clutches.

5. The mechanism may be used on motor vehicles having front wheel or four wheel drive units.

6. The mechanism may .be used on any type of motor mounting, for example, in vehicles where the'motor is mounted in front, on the side, and in the rear.

7. The improved mechanism insures an even and steady start.

8. This mechanism reduces the use of the elutch'considerably.

tures of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described,

9. Vehicles in which the mechanism is employed are less likely to skid in winter on icy or slippery pavement.

10. The mechanism reduces tire wear of the vehicle. I

11. The mechanism reduces the chance of stalling the power plant due to sudden strain, jerks or loads.

12. The horsepower of the motor need not be so great due to the fact that the mechanism increases the load upon the motor gradually.

13. The mechanism increases the life of the power plant due to production of even load.

14. The construction provides a very easy unit to service.

15. The mechanism may be used with any type of power plant, electric, steam, Diesel, or gasoline.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed "out.

and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the chassis of a car showing the mechanism embodying the invention attached to the rear wheels;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view through the differential;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, in designates the chassis of a vehicle provided with a pair of oil drive devices or mechanism or power transmission mechanism. The chassis l0 comprises a frame I2 provided with a front axle l3 and a rear axle IS. The vehicle is provided with an engine l6 at its forward end. Extending from the engine is a usual drive rod within a casing ll. The drive rod (not shown) is connected in the usual way to a differential l9 within a, differential housing 20. The differential drives the rear axles l5 which are connected to the transmission mechanisms I l at the sides of the vehicle.

Only one of said mechanisms will be described as they are both the same. Axle i5 is housed within the rear axle housing 24. Attached to the rear axle housing is a disc 26. Said disc 26 has a central opening through which the housing 24 passes. Said disc 26 is bolted to flanges 21 on the housing 24 by means of bolts 28. Rotatably mounted on the axle housing 24 is a casing 25 comprising a cylindrical wall 29 within which is a brake 30.. Integrally formed with cylindrical wall 29 is a, diffusion chamber 3| formed with a central opening 32 through which the axle housing passes. Diffusion chamber 3| has an annular compartment space in the form of groove 33 of semi-annular cross-section.

On axle housing 24 is an annular stop ring 33 contacting a ring 36 likewise surrounding the axle housing and engaging an annular flange 31 on said chamber. At the outer rim of the cham- The invention accordingly consists in the feaher is a reduced flange 33 forming an internal shoulder 39. At the inner rim of said'chamber is a packing 40.

Fixed to the axle I and rotatably mounted on the axle housing 24 is a driving part or member 4|. Said driving part has a web 42 formed with an opening 43 through which the axle passes, and the axle may be fixed to the web in any suitable manner.

Member 4| furthermore is formed with an inner cylindrical surface 45 surrounding and spaced from the axle housing. Interposed between the housing and said surface 45 is a bushing 48. The inner end of cylindrical surface 45 contacts the packing 40 as at 48. Said member 4| is further formed with an annular external groove 50 of quadrangular shape. Fixed to said surface 50 are a plurality of radial veins 5| each havin the shape of substantially a quarter of a circle. The forward edges of the vanes 5| project into the diffusion chamber 3|. The vanes are interconnected by an annular ring 52. I

Rotatably mounted on member 4| is a driven part 60 comprising a casing 6| complementary to the casing or chamber 3| and having a flange 62 to receive the flange 38. Casing BI is fixed to casing 25 by means of screws or bolts to lock said casings together at the flanges 38, 62. The member 60 is provided with integral vanes 66, each having the shape of substantially a quarter of a circle and adapted to rotate about vanes 5|. The vanes 66' are interconnected by an annular ring 61. It will be noted that member 60 surrounds member 4| and rotates thereabout.

Member 6| may have a cylindrical wall 68 journalled on a cylindrical wall 4|a of member 4|,

a bushing being interposed between said walls.

The rear wall or web 10 of member 6| may be attached to a portion 12' of a rear wheel as by screws 73.

The entire unit may be filled with oil disposed within the space 33 and within members 4| and 60. When the axle l5 rotates, it rotates the rotor or driving part 4| and the oil churns I in the difiusion chamber 33 and causes rotation of the driven part 60 which is connected to the wheels for driving the vehicle. Wall 8| may be provided with an oil filling plug Sla if desired as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

The principle of the mechanism is the use of centrifugal force and oil to cause the drive. The driving part 4| is in effect a pump with vanes which are connected to the axle or central shaft.- The driving part creates a centrifugal force which causes the driven part to rotate in like manner increasing its speed gradually. The diffusion chamber 3| turns the driven part to increase its speed gradually.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be madein the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not a, limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. .In combination with the driving axle of a motor vehicle, a hydraulic drive mechanism comprising a hub surrounding said axle, a casin mounted on said hub having a semi-circular shaped, annular groove portion, inner driving and outer driven mated casings having annular arcuate shaped portions, the groove in said first mentioned casing and the arcuate shaped portions in said mated casings forming a closed circular annular chamber, spaced radially extending vanes in the arcuate shaped portions of said mated casings, means on said outer driven mated casing for mounting a vehicle wheel, means for mounting said inner mated casing on said hub, fiuid in the closed circular annular chamber formed by said casings, means for transferring rotative force from said axle to said driving mated casing and means for connecting said first mentioned casing and said driven mated casing.

2. A hydraulic drive mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein braking means are provided for said driven mated casing and said first mentioned casin ROBERT A. IRWIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,275,344 White Aug. 13, 1918 1,730,900 Rockwell Oct. 8, 1929 2,004,279 Fottinger June 11, 1935 2,078,597 Beaumont Apr. 27, 1937 2,221,705 Glynn, Jr Nov. 12, 1940 2,287,498 Scofield June 23, 1942 2,335,544 Schnetzer Nov. 30, 1943 2,337,609 Jamieson Dec. 28, 1943 

